Winch assembly



June 15, 1943. H. c. FRENCH WINCH ASSEMBLIES Filed May 5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. BY m JAMLGR m v ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1943. H. c. FRENCH 2,321,905

WINCH ASSEMBLIES Filed May 5, 1941 3 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR.

G. GAmaL, I]? v 772M ATTORNEY.

June 15, 1943. H. c. FRENCH WINCH ASSEMBLIES Filed May 5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ka WM N |||f R m i n O 2 w H M A HTHH .1 W {m in :i +1

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Patented June 15, 1943 WINCH ASSEMBLY I Henry 0. French, Elm Grove, Wis., assignor to The Hell C0,, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 5, 1941, Serial No. 391,955

3 Claims. '(Cl. 254-187) This invention relates to improvements in winch assemblies, and more particularly to a winch or power unit adapted to be mounted on a tractor whereby the tractor operator may control the operation of various elements of an implement, such as a scraper, which is connected to and moved by the tractor.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a double drum winch, which, although amxed to a portion of a tractor so as to receive its power from the power take-off shaft of the tractor, permits entire ready removal of the drum assembly for convenience in facilitating repairs and replacements. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a winch assembly in which certain operating members are symmetrically arranged, permitting interchangeable mounting of the main driving gears to effect rotation of the winch drums in either direction, as desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a winch assembly wherein portions of the housing are tied together with a tension member which prevents possible distortion of the winch housing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power unit attachment for a tractor, said power unit including a clutch assembly which may be readily bodily removed from the power unit housing for convenience in repairs and replacements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clutch equipped winch wherein the clutch is operated by a lever so arranged and connected that very little manual effort is required to manipulate it, with the clutch furthermore being extremely quick acting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double drum winch assembly including an independent brake and drum for each winch but arranged and assembled so that the clutch and brake elements for each drum are identical and are interchangeable, and furthermore, identical application and release of power relative to both sets of clutch and brake members is at all times assured.

A further object of the invention is to provide a winch assembly wherein the cables are led to their respective winding drums by travelling supporting sheaves which insure proper and orderly winding of the cables on the drums.

A further object of the invention is to provide, ina winch assembly, a mounting for a cable guide sheave wherein the shaft on which the sheave is mounted is free to float back and forth longitudinally in bearing members in which lubricant is sealed, said bearing members being intercommunicating through the hollow shaft so that lubricant displaced from one bearing member, when the shaft shifts, flows into the other bearing member, maintaining at all times a constant volume of lubricant within the companion bearing members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a winch assembly which is of very simple construction, which is efficient in operation, which may be mounted on standard tractors in a manner to facilitate access to the internal mechanism for repairs, adjustments and replacements, which is strong and durable, and which is well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved winch assembly and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a rear end view of the improved winch assembly;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear view of the lower housed portion of the winch mechanism, with part thereof broken away and in section;

Fig. 4 is'a view, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3 with additional parts broken away and partly in longitudinal section;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, detail sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1 and showing the mounting of an upper guide sheave;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail view, partly in vertical section, showing the mounting of a lower cable guide sheave; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view showing the operating handles and shafts and connections for the same.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings it will appear that the improved winch or power control unit is of the double drum type and includes a lower housing, designated generally by the numeral l0, and an upper framework or supporting structure, designated generally by the numeral II. Certain driving gears and shafts are enclosed by the lower housing with which are also associated, cable winding drums, and brake and clutch mechanisms, all hereinafter to be described in re in detail. The upper framework or supporting structure serves as mounting means lfaor certain cable guiding sheaves, and other memers.

mental plate i8 and said lower plate l2.

' 8! is tubular.

The upper framework is separated from the lower housing by an intermediate, horizontal, supporting plate II on which is mounted in spaced relationship a pair of pivotal sheave enclosures I8, one of which is best shown in detail in Fig. I.

Each sheave enclosure has upper and lower trunnions l4 and I8 respectively, pivotal on tubular studs l8 and i1 projecting from an upper hori- Each sheave enclosure has a transverse stud shaft l8 on which is rotatably mounted a lower cable guiding sheave 28. Each sheave enclosure, with its sheave, is free to pivot or turn on a vertical axis so as to swing its sheave to a position to aline with the member to which it is directing its cable 2|. As shown in Fig. 1, the sheave enclosure H at the left is in one position, while the sheave enclosure at the right is turned at an angle bly inwardly into said housing is a horizontal drive shaft 88. Anoutwardly projecting portion of said shaft has a spline connection 84 with a coupling extension 88 by which means connection of ninety degrees relative to the first-mentioned sheave enclosure. Roller bearings 22 are interposed between the sheaves 28 and their shaft l8, and the shafts are provided with lubricating ducts 28 Projecting upwardly from the bottom plate I2 is a vertical supporting element 24 to a rear upper portion of which is aflixed an upper sheave enclosure plate 28 spaced from another enclosure plate 28. The lower edge of the latter plate is welded to and supported on the intermediate horizontal plate i8. A top plate 21 closes the, space between the vertical plates 28 and 28. The respective aids of the enclosure plates 28 and 28 carry alined bearing cups 28 and 28 (see Fig. 6) in which are iournaled the end portions of longitudinally shiftable upper sheave shafts 88. An intermediate portion of each shaft 88 has fast thereon an upper sheave 8|.

By reference to Fig. 6 it will be observed that a novel floating arrangement is provided for the upper sheave shafts 80. A shaft 88 is considerably shorter than the sum of the longitudinal dimensions of the members in which it is enclosed. Therefore, the shaft may shift back and forth longitudinally relative to the ends of its bearing cups 28 and 28. This is for the purpose of permitting thesheave 8| to rideback and forth to guide the cable 2! for orderly winding upon thedrum to which it is directed. The cups 28 and 28 are adapted to be filled with a lubricant and the inner ends of the cups are sealed with packing strips 82. Also, the shaft 88 is tubular. Hence, if the shaft 88 floats toward the closed end of the bearing cup 28, for instance, lubricant therein will be displaced and will beforced through the tubular shaft to fill and occupy the additional space provided in the other cup 28 because of the shifting of the shaft. In this manner the lubricant, while sealed relative to the shaft and bearing cups, can flow so as to fill up spaces occasioned by longitudinal movements of the shaft, with the volume of the enclosed lubricant remaining at all times constant.

It should be noted that the bearing stud l8 at the bottom of the enclosure for an upper sheave Hence, the cable 2! extending downwardly from said upper sheave is passed through said tubular bearing stud and is directed about the corresponding lower guide sheave is from whence it extends to a proper instrumene tality. The sheave l8, because of its mounting, is free to pivot on a vertical axis to aline itself properly with the desired direction of extent of the cable portion leading therefrom.

The lower housing 18 and other parts an mechanisms associated therewith are bolted to is made with the power take-oi! shaft of a tractor,

as is usual. Portions of the shaft 88 within the a housing are journaied in suitable roller bearings 88 and the inner portion of said shaft is formed with an integral pinion 81. Said pinion meshes with a large gear 88 mounted rearwardly on an upper stud shaft 88. Formed integrally with the large gear 88, and forwardly thereof, is a smaller gear 48 which meshes with a large drum shaft gear 4| and also with an idler gear 42 on a stud shaft 48. The idler gear 42 meshes with and transmits rotation at the desired speed to a second large drum shaft gear 44.

The gears 4i and 44 for the drum shafts are mounted fast on a pair of parallel and laterally separated drum shafts '48 and 48, said dram shafts being equi-distant from the drive shaft 88. Loose on the shafts 48 and 48, rearwardly of the gears 4| and 44, are'drums 4! and 48 respectively, with the movement of the drums being controlled by clutch and brake members, indicated generally by the numerals 48 and 88 respectively.

As the structure and mounting of each drum and its respective-clutch and brake member is the same as the other, only one set of the same will be described in detail. Between the drum 48 and the shaft 48 is a spindle extension 8!, the latter being held to said shaft by a threaded retainer nut 82. Relatively large roller bearings 88 facilitate easy rolling movement of the drum on said spindle extension, and the retainer nut arrangement permits easy dismantling of this portion of the assembly. The rear head of the drum 48 has an extension forming an annular outer brake drum 84 and an inner, conical clutch surface 88.

Splined on the rear end portion of the main drum shaft 48 is a clutch drum 88 whose outer circular face is inwardly inclined to correspond with the drum clutch surface 88 and is positioned spacedly interiorly of the same. Said exterior face of the drum 88 carries a clutch band 81 of suitable braking material to frictionally engage the drum surface 88. A coiled spring 88 confined within a pocket in the hub portion 89 of the clutch drum and also engaging a nut 88 on the shaft 48, yieldingly urges the clutch drum axially on the shaft 48. The clutch is controlled by an elongated rod 8| which is longitudinally movably mounted within the hollow main drum shaft 48. One end of said rod connects with manual operating mechanism, later to be described. The right hand end of said rod, relative to Fig. 4, is threaded as at 82 and carries a cap 88 having a plate flange 88. An inner portion of a bearing 84 is also fixed to said cap while the outer rotatable portion of said bearing abuts the outer end of the hub 88 of the clutch drum. Therefore, when the operating rod 8| is moved slightly in a direction to cause its outer end to pull inwardly on the cap 88 and bearing 84, the latter will push the clutch drum to the left relative to Fig. 4, causing the clutch band 81 to move sufliciently against the surface 88 to connect the drive as between the clutch drum and the cable drum. Conversely, when the operating rod 8i is moved longitudinally in the opposite direction, there will be a release dfthe drivingengagement as between the drum 58 and the cable drum 48. I The brake member for the drum under consideration, comprises a brake shoe 65 carrying a brake band 66 substantially encircling the brake surface 54 of the cable drum 48. The ends of the brake band and shoe are separated from each other. One end of the shoe is made fast to a fixed bar 61 'by a bolt 68. The other end of the brake band is fixed to a block 18 adjacent a pivotal, lever arm 68. The degree of contact as between the lever arm 68 and the block may be regulated by an adjustablebolt ll. At the front of the assembly a bell-crank 'lever 68, which as will hereinafter appear moves with said lever arm 88, slides on an elongated transverse tie-rod 12 at each end of which there are confined coiled springs 13. Hence when the lever arm underconsideration, as well as that on the other side of the housing, are moved in a direction to relieve pressure on their blocks 18 and consequently release the respective brake bands 88, the

bell-crank levers 88' will move so as to compress the springs 13. p

Expansion and contraction of the brake band 86 (and this is true of the companion brake band for the other cable drum) is controlled by a disc member 14 having a lower cam surface 15 on which a roller 16 on the other arm of the bellcrank lever 68' rides. The cam disc I4 is splined onto a portion of a vertical control shaft 11 which is at the front of the assembly. The lever arm 88 is connected with this vertical control shaft 11 through a forwardly extending horizontal rod 18 on whose forward end the bell-crank lever 68' is mounted fast, said rod 18 being turnable within its housing.

While each vertical control shaft I1 connects at its lower end with and extends upwardly from the forward end of its respective clutch control rod 8| it is not convenient from the standpoint of the operator of the tractor to have the upper manually actuated ends of said shafts 11 substantially separated. Hence, one of the shafts 11, as that for the right hand drum in Fig. 1, extends vertically upwardly from its clutch control rod GI and its upper extremity is equipped with an operating handle 19. The other shaft 11 terminates immediately above the plate I! and is provided with a horizontal arm 88 (see Fig. 8) to which is pivotally attached one end of a bar 8|. Said bar 8| extends horizontally beyond the other shaft 11 and is pivotally connected with an end of an arm 82 whose other end is attached fast to a lower portion of an auxiliary control shaft 83 which is adjacent the first-mentioned shaft '11. The upper end of the auxiliary shaft 83 carries an operating handle 84. Thus, the accessible means for the manual operation and con-' trol of the two clutches and brakes are conveniently grouped.

The connection between the lower end of a vertical control shaft 11 and a clutch control rod BI is shown in detail in Fig. 5. This connection is within the casing extension shown at 85 in Fig. 4 and includes therewithin upper and lower bearings 86 and 81. Intermediate the portions of the vertical control shaft 11 which are within the bearings 86 and ,81 there is an eccentric portion 88 on said shaft which carries a block 88. An outer portion of said block is swiveled on a pin 88 to which is secured the end portion of the clutch control rod 8|. When the operating handle 84 is turned, through the proper connec tions, a vertical control shaft TI will-turn, thereby operating the eccentric 88 and the block 88. This will impart longitudinal movement to the horizontal clutch control rod 8| to apply or release the clutch, depending on the direction of movement of said rod 8] and the operation of the clutch being accomplished in the manner previously described. Due to the eccentric 88, the leverage is in favor of the machine operator and very little manual effort is required to actuate the clutch. Also, the same is extremely quick acting.

The improved power unit is adapted to be mounted upon the rear portion of the transmission case of the tractor with which the power unit is to be associated. For this purpose the forward end portion of the assembly is provided with a flanged plate 8| formed with apertures 82 through which bolts (not shown) are extended. While the power unit is intended to be permanently mounted on the tractor transmission case it will be appreciated that for different tractors or for different implements it may become desirable to'replace the power unit and the flange 8| and method of attachment facilitates this procedure. More generally, however, the assembly will not be removed from the tractor transmission casing, but the structure is such that all of the internal mechanism of the power unit is readily accessible and removable for repairs and replacements. For instance, by removing the plate 63 at the rear of the unit, access may be had to the clutch drum 58 which may be readily removed from its shaft 46. This gives access to the cable drum 48 which is likewise readily removable, or the bearings 53 therefor may be tightened by turning the nuts 80 and 52. It will therefore be seen that either or both of the entire cable drum assemblies are very readily removable, while the power unit is attached to the tractor, for repairs, adjustments, and replacement.

Another advantage of the structure is the ease with which the gears for the drum shafts may be removed, replaced, or interchanged. As was mentioned heretofore, the drum 48 is mounted on a spindle 5| and rotates thereon, the spindle being stationary. The spindle is, however, bolted to an annular flange 93 by bolts 84. When said bolts 84 are removed, an entire subassembly including the spindle 5|, and the drum 48, are removable, affording access into the rear end of the housing to. With this accomplishment the main drum shaft gear 44, the shaft 48, and the complete sub-assembly. may be withdrawn axially for repairs or replacement.

This is possible in the present structure because each main gear 44 only meshes with one other gear thereabove and the opening 44 into the housing to permit removal of the gear 44 consequently only has to be sufficiently large to accommodate the gear 44.

The arrangement shown in the drawings, particularly Fig. 3, willresult in one cable drum being driven in a predetermined direction and the other cable drum being driven in the opposite direction. It may be desirable to reverse the direction of rotation of the respective drums. With the present assembly this is very readily accomplished. It is only necessary to remove integral gears-38 and 48 from the shaft 38 and to remove gear 42 from its shaft 43. Then, gear 42 is replaced on shaft 88, and integral gears 38-48 are re-mounted on shaft 48, This is posof the entire assembly and because the center lines of shafts as and 43 are equi-distant from the drive pinion 31 and are furthermore equidistant from both drum shafts 8|.

It will be observed that the shafts 38 and 43 are in the form of elongated bolts passing through flanges on both sides of the housing. These shafts serve to effectively tie all of the members together and act as tension devices to' prevent housing distortion.

From the description heretofore given it must be obvious that operation of the several cable winding drums of the power unit is manually controlled by an operator adjacent the two operating handles I9 and 84, which turn the vertical control shafts 11 for the two main drum shafts. With reference to operation of one of the cable drums (the operation of the other being similar) let it be assumed that the operator manipulates the hand lever 19 in a certain direction to effect rotation of the drum 48 in a direction to wind the cable on said drum. With this condition existing, it is of course, essential that the clutch 56 for said drum be engaged and that the brake band 88 for said drum be released. The drum at the right, relative to Fig. 3, will turn, under these conditions, in the direction of the arrow. Engagement of the clutch 56 was effected through the means previously described, so power obtained from the transmission of the tractor, which is driving the main shaft 46, effects rotation of the drum 48. The brake 68, during this.

operation, is released because a projection on the cam surface 15 is engaging the roller 16 on the bell-crank lever 69' whereby the brake rod 18 has been turned in a direction to cause the arm 69 to move free of the block III at the end of the brake band. The brake hand does not, therefore, bind on the drum brake surface 54 and the direction of rotation of said drum is contra to that which would cause binding of the brake band.

.By moving the manipulating handle I9 to a neutral position, a situation may be obtained wherein the clutch I6 is engaged, but the brake is applied, whereby the cable being wound onto the drum is held rigidly. The position of the cam disc 14 and bell crank lever 69' is then as shown in Fig. 3. Eccentric 88 will have moved away from the position of Fig. 5.

A third position of operation, obtained through proper movement of the control handle 19, is that wherein the clutch is disengaged and the brake is released. When this condition exists,

the clutch control rod 6| will have been moved to the clutch disengaging direction, and the eccentric 88 will have moved away from the position of Fig. 5 so as to disengage the clutch. Also, a projecting spot on the cam 15 will have moved the-bell-crank lever 69' in a counterclockwise direction so as to effect release of the brake. With this condition attaining, the cable drum is free to turn and the cable may be played out.

From the foregoing description'it will readily appear that the improved winch assembly or power unit is simple in operation and construction, the interior parts thereof are readily accessible for repairs and replacements, and the unit is well adapted for the purposes described.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a power control unit, a hollow drum shaft, a drum freely rotatable relative thereto and having integral clutch and brake surfaces, a brake operatively mounted adjacent said drum brake surface, a clutch splined on the drum shaft and engageable and disengageable with said drum clutch surface, means for manually operating the brake and the clutch and including a connection extending through the drum shaft, and an eccentric member directly engaging one end portion of said connection minimizing the power needed to move the latter.

2. In a power control unit, a housing, a driven hollow drum shaft within the housing and extending out of one end thereof, means within the housing for transmitting rotation to said drum shaft, a fixed spindle through which an external portion of the drum shaft revolubly ex-' tends, an annular plate flange integral with an inner end portion of the spindle and closing an end portion of the housing, bolts removably securing said spindle flange to said housing end portion, a drum freely rotatably mounted on said spindle, anti-friction means between the spindle and drum, said drum having a cupped end head formed interiorly with a clutch surfaceand exteriorly with a brake surface, a clutch member splined on said drum shaft and yieldingly axially movable thereon and nested with the cupped end head of ,the drum for selective driving engagement with said clutch surface, a brake selectively engageable with said drum brake surface, a clutch operating rod extending through said drum shaft, and a retainer plate removably secured on the end portion of said rod and operatively engaging said clutch, release of said retainer plate and unbolting of the spindle plate flange permitting axial removal of the drum shaft and elements associated therewith including the clutch, the drum, the spindle, and some of the rotation transmitting means.

3. In a power control unit, a hollow drum shaft, a drum freely rotatable relative thereto and having clutch and brake surfaces, a brake operatively mounted adjacent said drum brake surface, a clutch on the drum shaft and engageable and disengageable with said drum clutch surface, means for manually operating the brake, a reciprocatable horizontal clutch control rod associated with said clutch, a revoluble vertical control shaft terminating adjacent one end of said rod, and an eccentric member forming a movable connection between the adjacent ends of the clutch control rod and the vertical control shaft minimizing the power required to move the clutch control rod.

HENRY C. FRENCH. 

